


('Cause nothing lasts forever, even) Cold November rain

by heismysoulmate



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Memories, PHWeek2020, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23666968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heismysoulmate/pseuds/heismysoulmate
Summary: Pandora Hearts Week, day 3: Rain
Relationships: Leo Baskerville/Elliot Nightray
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	('Cause nothing lasts forever, even) Cold November rain

“I just find peace in the rain.” Leo answered, when Elliot asked him once, why he always sits at the patio when it’s raining.

It was about three years ago, and it still didn’t change. Whenever dark clouds were gathering on the sky, and first droplets were hitting the ground, Leo would take the book, and sometimes a cup of black tea, and go to sit outside.

Sure, he sometimes ended up wet, if wind suddenly changed direction and started throwing rain into his face. Even when he was sitting under the roof the patio provided. 

But nevertheless, it was calming.

Elliot used to complain about that a lot.

“You will get a cold. You’re all wet and freezing. Who’s going to take care of you when you'll be sick? I won’t. You’re stupid.”

Leo never answered. He barely ever was getting sick, even after sitting in the rain. And both of them knew that if he will, his husband will throw away everything, just to take care of him. Nightray was always like that. He pretended he didn’t care, while in fact he was always the first one to run and help. He was probably even worse than Gilbert. But Leo loved him for that.

But still, Elliot just wasn’t able to understand how Leo really felt about being able to sit in the rain. 

The quiet “tap tap tap” sound, that was somehow calming his heart into steady rhythm. 

Actually, when they met it was raining too.

Leo was about to leave, after ending his shift in the bookstore, when he noticed the most beautiful person he ever saw. Well, it was actually hard not to notice him, because stranger was standing under the little roof of the bookstore, cursing under his breath.

“Fuck, I can’t believe I had to forget this stupid umbrella today. For the fucking love of God.”

For some reason it made Leo chuckle, and he decided to approach another man.

“Hey, you need help?” He asked, extending his umbrella a little.

“Huh?”

“Come on, I don’t have a whole day either. And I can’t just leave you here, you’re scaring off our clients.”

Beautiful stranger didn’t comment how the rain was probably deterring people more than he was, but just get under the umbrella.

They had to stand so close their shoulders were touching. What’s more, he was taller, so Baskerville had to raise the umbrella higher for the other man to fit. Stranger seemed to notice how uncomfortable it was, so he nodded at Leo’s hand.

“Can I?”

“Um, sure.” Leo gave the umbrella for him to hold, and it felt like a spark of electricity jumped between them, when their fingers touched.

But rain was silently tapping on the umbrella and the concrete around them, so Leo didn’t let himself get nervous. His heartbeat was only a little faster than normally, when he asked.

“So, where you’re going?”

“Um, the station.”

“Oh, so we’re even going in the same direction? Great.”

They started walking at that. It took them a moment to get used to each other’s steps, but they fell into the rhythm quite fast. The hum of water falling down was filling the air when it started raining harder, changing the calm “tap, tap, tap” into louder, more aggressive “TAP, TAP, TAP” but it didn't affect Leo. 

Rain was always calming him, even like that.

“So… you’re working at the bookstore?” Stranger asked finally.

Leo liked the sound of his voice almost as much as the sound of rain, so he didn’t tell him to shut up. Instead, he answered.

“Yes. One of my friends is actually the owner.”

“Must be nice? Working under your friend.”

“Yeah, I hate that. Never work with someone you know.”

Man laughed at that.

“Too late, I’m already working with my older brothers. So I can see where it’s coming from.”

Before long they were standing at the station, and stranger gave the umbrella back to Leo.

“Thanks. You kind of saved my ass.”

“Could at least thank me properly by introducing yourself.”

Man looked at him with wide eyes for a moment, before he laughed again.

“Guess you’re right, I’m sorry. I’m Elliot Nightray. Nice to meet you,” he said, extending his hand.

“Leo Baskerville,” he said shortly, shaking offered hand.

They didn’t get to talk much after that, because Elliot’s train arrived. Man got inside, while waving shortly, and Leo stayed at the station.

But… Baskerville smiled to himself, remembering how the next day Elliot came to the bookstore to ask for his number.

What was also calming for Leo somehow, was the smell of rain. He couldn’t explain it, not really, but when he was sitting at the patio, wrapped in a blanket (Elliot was always insisting on that, and now it kind of become his habit to take a blanket, too.), and his nostrils were filling with the strong smell of wet ground and something fresh, mostly felt during spring, he felt like he could finally breathe freely. As if up until that moment he was holding his breath, and now he was breathing properly for the first time, finally filling his lungs with pure oxygen.

The quiet “tap, tap” calming his heart, and the smell that was taking away the heaviness from his chest, and clearing his anxieties. The perfect mix.

It was also raining outside when Elliot proposed.

They were dating for almost four years, and living together for a year at that point. 

That particular day Elliot was really complaining about the weather. Leo didn’t understand him. Yes, maybe not everyone loved rain as much as he did (he actually wanted to go outside since morning, to just sit outside, but seeing how angry his boyfriend was with the weather, he was trying his best to not give in, and stay with him), but still, Nightray didn’t have to go to work, so it’s not like he had any reason to be so mad.

At one point Leo heard him muttering under his breath.

“Now, when I finally had everything planned, fucking rain, and we’re stuck, great.”

When evening came, Elliot was getting close to breaking. So, Leo decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Why are you so hell-bent on this poor rain? It didn’t do anything bad to you,” he pointed out, sitting next to his boyfriend on the couch.

“It destroyed my plans.”

“I didn’t know we had plans for today." Baskerville raised his brow.

“I did.” It sounded so angry, and dismissive, that Leo actually felt a little hurt at that.

“Okay, Mr. I Do Everything Alone. You don’t have to take it out on me.”

“Shit, no, sorry.” Nightray turned to take Leo’s face in his hands, and caress his cheeks. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

Leo just sighed. At this point Elliot knew damn well how to placate him.

“Okay. But… Can’t you just do that plans any other day, or just do it from home?”

Nightray was looking him in the eyes for a moment, and even despite the quiet “tap, tap, tap” on the window, Leo felt his heart starts beating faster.

“Okay,” man finally whispered, and leaned in to slowly kiss him.

He didn’t know why he was suddenly being kissed, but he didn’t mind. Actually, being kissed by Elliot was somewhere about ten times better than sitting in the rain, so he really quite enjoyed it.

Leo just didn’t expect what was about to happen next.

Because when Elliot moved away, his hands still on his boyfriend’s face, he asked.

“Will you marry me?”

“W- What?”

Nightray sighed.

“I really had everything planned, and it was supposed to be cool and romantic, but…” He moved away, and took something from his pocket. “I guess this will have to do, too.”

Then his beautiful and stupid boyfriend got on one knee, and opened the box to show him the ring, and while looking at him with soft eyes, full of love, he asked again.

“So, Leo Baskerville, will you marry me?”

Of course Leo said yes. And he never, even for a moment, regretted becoming Leo Nightray.

Even if it wasn’t raining on the day of their wedding, it was still one of the best days of his life.

Leo wrapped himself tighter in a blanket, when wind suddenly changed its direction, now throwing rain in his face. Cold, wet droplets stick to his cheeks, as if they were tears.

It also wasn’t raining on the day that Elliot died.

Well, it was more accurate to say that he was murdered. Leo still remembered how sick he felt when he heard that. And when he had to go to identify the body.

He remembered the tears that came later. Streaming down his face, unstoppable, just like rain from the clouds. The anger that came later...

It all happened almost two years ago, but he still remembered it all.

The worst part was that they never found the culprit, so he didn’t even know why. Why he had to lose everything what was so important to him. 

All was left to him now, was sitting in the empty and cold house. And when the clouds were covering the sky, he was still going out to sit on the patio. Still sitting there, listening to quiet tapping sound, calming the storm in his head. To find the peace he so longed for.

Just now there was no one to drag his ass back inside.


End file.
